It’s the seventeenth of March. Also known as: St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve long loved all things Celtic (music, designs, language, rainbows) and while as far as I know, I’m not Irish; I just love celebrating this day. (It actually looks like I’m English, though my husband’s family is Scots-German-Irish-English, so… I can claim it at least a little, right?)
Celtic Things
I love the looks of the Celtic knots and crosses. Celtic music is almost all I listen to when I write, or if I am having a bad day and need a pick-me-up. My absolute favourite of all time is David Davidson, Celtic Fantasy.
Quick story, I first heard the song in one of the small Celtic shops in St. Augustine, Florida when I was around fifteen. At the time, I didn't have the extra cash to buy the CD (yes, still a thing then) since I had just bought some dark chocolate sea salt caramels. I told myself I'd remember the name of the CD and left a little later. (Note, at the time smart phones were extremely new and I did not have one; I actually did not have a mobile phone yet as this was the summer before I was sixteen). I could not remember - and every time I passed a Celtic store, I'd go in and look for the CD. I vaguely remembered the cover, but the song I knew was Mo' Cairen. Finally, eight years later, I went back and found that same shop. I went immediately to the CDs and they had it. Since then, it's been with me wherever I go.
However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend Celtic music when driving on I-10 or I-16... let's just say, I quickly changed the station to a rock station to wake me up.
And today, the day that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland (well, at least part of the reasoning behind the day), I feel like celebrating. I’m writing, I’ve read two books in the past two days, and I’ve started editing The Lost Daughter again. All in all, a good day to celebrate.
Also, somehow our son is still red-headed. It might only show up in my husband’s beard, and I was strawberry-blond until four, but it was still unexpected. So he was our dinosaur leprechaun today.
At the End of the Rainbow
I always feel like you find something good at the end of the rainbow. Whether or not it’s a pot of gold, or a leprechaun, or a finished book. My book may not be completely edited, but it is (mostly) finished, and I have an idea for the next one, so today, it seems like I found an end to a rainbow. Or maybe, just knowing the meaning behind rainbows, makes it easy to celebrate simple victories.
And believe me, writers, it is a victory. When you’re feeling down and not wanting to edit, or overwhelmed with all that you want to complete, just the act of editing and writing again feels like a small victory.
You’ll Find Your Rainbow
If you’re not there yet, you can be! I started strong in January, fell completely apart in February, and am slowly working back to actual editing and writing in March. Participating in the #InstaWrimo challenge for Camp NaNoWriMo is helping. It’s getting me back into the swing of everything and helping me have my victories.
So, I’m off to find some more rainbows – wearing green (and orange) of course!
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